CXGallery

Hi,

I thought I would ask here before buying and trying. I have the Campy Record Pista crankset, and used to use the Veloce Bottom Bracket 111mm version as an alternative to the Record track bottom bracket or Phil woods, however this is becoming harder and harder to source. Does anyone know if the Centaur square ISO bottom bracket (111mm) is compatible with regards to the chainline? I run into problems when the axel is offset and the cranks hit my chain stays.

Much thanks in advance.

50voltphantom

I don't know but you can get a Veloce here:
https://www.retro-gression.com/colle...ant=7127009665

This is also an option
https://www.retro-gression.com/colle...bottom-bracket

gfk_velo

Don't use the 111mm Centaur BB, the length of the taper is insufficient and there is a high probability of a crack radiating out from one corner of the square taper being formed. The crank usually migrates up the taper to the point where the "scallop" from round to square section starts and a point load is generated at each corner of the square taper broaching, leading to failure.

We had a rash of these failures back in 2008/9 when building fixies suddenly got trendy and a number of riders (and indeed shop mechanics) were not aware of the problem ...

This happens because the Centaur BB is, as you say, ISO wheras the taper pattern used in the Pista crankset is not - it's the original Campagnolo taper that predates ISO and JIS. The Pista chainset in it's current form goes back to the late 80s, early 90s which predates the ISO and JIS standards coming into common use and Campag never changed it because they specify the Pista crankset for track use and make a track BB to suit - which doesn't have any weather sealing to speak of, for obvious reasons.

The old AC-H and AC-S BBs that you have used before have the same taper as a Pista BB as they, too, are old, pre ISO units.

Phil Wood, as you note, still suit these cranks and I think you can still get Cliff at Royce to machine you a Ti Axle to suit, if you ask nicely

Avoid mounting to a JIS BB because the load will only be bourne over about 70% of the designed area and that in itself can lead to creaking, taper failure and so on, plus the chainline will be questionable because the eaxct amount the cranks will draw up the tapers is very dependant on the manufacturing tolerances of the BB axle and the number of times the cranks have been on and off an axle before ... that's true of the correct axle as well, of course but the tolerances will all be in a known range ...

CXGallery

Thank you for this info, I will go with the Phil Wood BB to be on the safe side. Much appreciated!

IAmSam

Ain't a thing wrong with a Phils BB - in fact I have one myself mated to my own Campag Record Pista crankset, but FYI there are a few little foibles involved in installing one. Before you move on to the Phils from a Veloce or Centaur, what do you have against the Record Pista bottom bracket?

gfk_velo

Lack of weather sealing makes the Pista BB sub optimal for general use.
Perfect for intended use ...